Trackage for miniature automobiles and the like



G. F. LEWIS 3,276,393

TRACKAGE FOR MINIATURE AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE Oct. 4, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5. 1963 INVENTOR. 65mm 5 ZEW/s BY 47 ENE VTRACKAGE FOR MINIATURE AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 5. 1965 G. F.LEWIS Oct. 4, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 H W WM 7 Mfi w w m NH 3 M v v M.23v Q\\ 6 y X W 1 7 X 7/ fiw/x W;

lwi i A Q Oct. 4, 1966 G. F. LEWIS 3,276,393

TRACKAGE FOR MINIATURE AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 5. 1963 Y 4Sheets5heet 5 I NVEN TOR 656410 fl L W/5 BY {W Arr e/vzy Oct. 4, 1966 G.F. LEWIS 3,275,393

TRACKAGE FOR MINIATURE AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 5. 1963 4Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR 65/2440 Ellery/5 United States Patent 3,276,393TRACKAGE FOR MINIATURE AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE Gerald F. Lewis,Berkley, Mich., assignor to Roll-on- Roadways, Inc., Berkley, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 299,855 1 Claim.(Cl. 104149) This invention relates to trackage for miniature electricautomobiles and the like including the mounting thereof on a board orother surface to provide a race track or roadway for such automobiles.

Heretofore, trackage to produce race tracks or roadways for miniatureautomobiles has been extremely expensive and limited to producing onlysuch patterns of roadway as permitted by the assembling in end-to-endrelationship trackage units of preformed lengths, shapes and curves. Theexpense of the preformed trackage or roadway units prohibit many fromenjoying the sport of miniature automobile racing and the building ofextensive roadways therefor.

With the foregoing in View, the primary object of the instant inventionis to provide simple, inexpensive and easily assembled trackage orroadway for miniature automobiles and like vehicles, which trackage maybe readily mounted on a suitable board or other surface to provide arace course or roadway of the desired layout, all at a minimum ofexpense and within a reasonable time.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a simple form of raceway or roadway of theinvention to accommodate miniature nacing vehicles.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG.1 showing trackage of the invention mounted on a board for use withcenter guide narrow pick-up gage race cars.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged 'cross sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showingtrackage of the invention mounted on a board for use with center guidewide-pick-up gage cars.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective showing the installation on a board ofone trackage ribbon and an ornamental roadway shoulder sectionindicating how the electric conductor rail is installed with anelectrical connection established at a joint therein.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective showing the installation on a board of apair of trackage ribbons and an ornamental roadway shoulder indicatinghow the electrical connection to an electric conductor rail isaccomplished.

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of the method employed in mountingtrackage of the invention on a board at a corner or other turn thereof.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer tolike and corresponding parts throughout the several views, theembodiment of the invention disclosed for illustrative purposes consistsof a pair of tracks 10 each comprising two trackage ribbons 11, and eachmay include a road shoulder simulating strip 12. The trackage ribbons 11of each track 10 are alike, but laid opposite hand with a narrow guidespace 13 therebetween. The trackage ribbons 11 and road shoulder strips12 are preferably cemented to a board 14 or other base element which maybe a plywood sheet or platform of a suitable thickness depending uponthe size thereof, three-quarter inch plywood generally being preferable.Each trackage ribbon 11 is suitably grooved longitudinally at 110 and111 to accommodate electrical conductor rails 15 as hereinafterdescribed in detail.

A typical track installation on a board or other base element 14 isshown in section in FIG. 2 wherein a pair of tracks 10 each consistingof a pair of trackage ribbons ill 11 cemented to the said board 14 inopposite hand spaced relationship to each other. The said trackageribbons 11 are separated laterally only sufliciently to provide a narrowguide space 13 to accommodate a guide 43 disposed in dependingrelationship from the bottom of a miniature electrically drivenautomobile, race car or other such vehicle 40. The said guide 43preferably depends from the electric automobile or the like 40 in theregion of the front axle of the vehicle and laterally central thereof.The miniature electric automobiles are conventional and are available invarious shapes and sizes employing either narrow or wide gage electricpick-up shoes 41 or 42 respectively for travel on narrow or wide pick-upgage trackage.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each trackage ribbon 11 has a reentrantgroove in the top thereof spaced an A distance from one side thereof foruse in providing narrow pick-up gage trackage, and has a reentrantgroove 111 in the bottom thereof spaced a B distance from the other sidethereof for use in providing, when turned bottom side up, a wide pick-upgage trackage. The narrow pick-up gage trackage is shown in FIG. 2,while the wide pick-up gage trackage is shown in FIG 3. Throughout thedrawings, except in FIG. 3, the trackage shown is narrow pick-up gagetrackage.

The reentrant grooves 110 and 111 of each trackage ribbon 11 are of thecorrect size and shape to accommodate and hold therein an aluminumconductor rail 15 of soft pliable aluminum wire, preferably ofsubstantially 0-temper.

The trackage ribbons 11 and road shoulder simulating strips 12 arepreferably of an extruded vinyl plastic or other pliable non-conductivematerial that may be bent readily into a flat curve as shown in FIG. 6.The trackage ribbons are preferably black to simulate a roadway, and theroad shoulder strips 12 may be green or another contrasting color.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 6, before mounting trackage ribbons11 and road shoulder strips 12 on the board 14, it is preferable firstto make a suitable layout of the trackage to be laid on the said board14. The board 14 is then coated where trackage ribbons 11 and shoulderstrips 12 are to be laid with a suitable plastic-towood contact typeadhesive 16 which is allowed to air dry to tackiness. The bottom of thetrackage ribbons 11 and road shoulder strips 12 are also coated with aplasticto-wood adhesive and are allowed to air dry to tackiness. Then,the trackage ribbons 11 and road shoulder simulating strips 12 are eachlaid in the manner indicated in FIG. 6. It has been found desirable tolay one trackage ribbon 11 first. Then, to obtain the proper spacing ofa pair of trackage ribbons 11 to provide the proper guide space 13therebetween, any suitable temporary spacer means may be laid alongsidethe first laid trackage ribbon 11 prior to the laying of the secondtrackage ribbon 11 of a pair of trackage ribbons. For a temporaryspacer, it is preferable to employ a piece of soft pliable aluminum wireof the size used for the electrical conductor rails 15. The roadshoulder strips 12 may be laid any time after their adjacent trackageribbon 11 has been laid. It has been found preferable to insert theelectrical conductor rails into the rail grooves 110 or 111, as the casemay be, after the track-age ribbons have been laid a sufficient lengthof time to become firmly adhered to the board 14. In cases where thecurves in the trackage are of a relatively small radius, it may bedesirable to tack the trackage ribbons 11, and the road shoulder strips12 if used, to the board 14 at the point of curvature, at the point oftangency, and at one or two places therebetween until such a time as theplastic-to-wood adhesive 16 has had an opportunity to set. While it ispreferable to use adhesive 16 to mount the trackage ribbons 11 and roadshoulder strips 12 of the tracks 10 to the board or other base elesamein place by tacks, brads, or the like.

In FIG. 1 is indicated how a cross-over 30 is formed. By accuratelycutting the trackage ribbons 11 on suitable angles, the said trackageribbons may be abutted as at X.

'SW-l and SW-2, and to the transformer T respectively.

The said transformer T is connected to a source of alternating currentS. The electrical hook-up indicated in FIG. 1 is conventional, and neednot be described in detail except that, by pushing the operating buttonof either or both of the spring loaded Open switches SW-1 and SW2, theconductor rails 15 of each or both tracks become alive, and one or moreof the electrically driven race cars or the like 40 on either or bothtracks 10 is supplied with electric current through its pick-up shoes 41or 42, as the case may be.

Wherever it becomes necessary to join electrically the abutting ends ofelectrical conductor rails 15, a small piece of tin or lead foil 20 isplaced below the joint and the abutting end portions of the conductorrails as best shown in FIG. 5. The said conductor rails 15 are thenpressed into the groove 110 of the trackage ribbon 11, and a perfectelectrical connection is made at the joint between abutting ends of theconductor rails 16.

With the instant invention, the do-it-yourself man or boy is able toconstruct trackage for either narrow or wide pick-up gage miniatureelectric automobiles and the like,

employing layouts of greater or lesser extent and complicas defined bythe appended claim.

ment 14, it may be desirable for some users to tack the i 4 I claim:Trackage for minature electric race cars and the like of the typeincluding a pair of laterally spaced electric pick-up shoes and alaterally central guide element depending therefrom comprising a baseelement, a pair of pliable trackage ribbons of a plastic materialbendable into a flat curve to a selected track,

each trackage ribbon having a continuous reentrant conductor rail groovealong the top and adjacent at least one side thereof, adhesive meansmounting said trackage ribbons on said base element in opposite handlateral spaced relationship providing a continuous guide spacetherebetween to accommodate the said race car guide element, A

a relatively soft pliable wire conductor rail positioned and retained bythe pliable trackage ribbon adjacent said reentrant conductor railgroove in each said reentrant conductor rail groove with a portion ofsaid conductor rail extending above said trackage ribbons for contact bysaid race car pick-up shoes,

a source of electric current,

and manually operable means connected to said conductor railsselectively applying electric current at will to the conductor rails ofany track.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,5 62,623 7/1951 Levering 238-10 2,661,853 3/ 1953 Haynes et al 104*60 2,899,9108/1959 Vivari 104l50 2,913,997 11/1959 Wolf 238-l0 3,048,124 8/1962Lovell 104-l49 3,163,123 1-2/1964 Ziroli 1041247 3,206,122 9/ 196-5Frisbie et al 104-60 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,219 12/ 1957 Canada.

764,151 12/ 1956 Great Britain.

804,622 11/ 8 Great Britain.

1,078,586 5/1954 France.

A'RTI-DUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

S. T. KRAWCZEWICZ, Assistant Examiner.

